Fabric choices for "Rhapsody in bloom"

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After I got the pattern for" Rhapsody in bloom" I thought I would just use scraps from a project I did last year, but then I started to think about adding a few additional colors or changing one color to see if I like the effect.

Like gold instead of white.......... but I found it left the blocks looking flat with no sparkle or brightness.

When I changed the gold for white I felt much happier with the block.

Then after having all the blocks together I could not decide which color to add as a border.....so I took several pictures to help me decide. All in all I'm very pleased with the look of the quilt and found the pattern easy to follow and quick to come together.

After Debby Brown quilted it for me it really looked complete and it is just another example of the quilting making the quilt special.

KIm, It looks like you used 2 reds, 3 teals, a black and a white. Is that correct? It is just beautiful!

I used about 25 different floral fat quarter/fat eighth pieces, and like Dionne, I used a 2.5" square also. I used all of my light blue florals and pulled a scrap light blue TOT. My background is all one fabric, but all the other segments of the blocks are a mix of 3-6 different fabrics. Each block uses the same fabrics for each element.

I started out in QE7 to look at the colors and decide on fabrics. I was all spirit and inspiration. I really came up with some pleasing color combinations. But in the end, my pocket book was the deciding factor. I tossed all my fancy QE plans and dug into my scraps. I determined my background fabric, light blue, because it was what I had the most scraps in.

This photo was taken before I took advantage of those wonderful bonus half-square triangles! If you aren't familair with those wonderful little bonus triangles, just check out a few back issues of Quiltmaker Magazine. Anyone know what issue?

I worried and fretted over my choices at every turn. My fellow Scrap Squad members are so talented, it was daunting to compare my work to theirs. The first picture I shared, one solitary block, was rather nerve wracking. With so many scraps it was hard to see the pattern. Everyone was probably thinking what my husband was saying. "Where is the pattern? Are you sure you made the right fabric choices?" I assured him that I had, but my inner critic was doubtful. I really wanted my first project for Quiltmaker to come out nice, but it was hard to see how it would all come together in that first sorry little block.

Honestly, if i would have had the extra money to indulge my stash, I would have run to the store to change my fabric choices. Yup, I was that nervous! But I persevered with the project. In the end I REALLY like how it turned out. And my daughter LOVES it! So, alls well that ends well. I suppose sometimes it's good that we don't always have the money to buy the perfect fabric collection. Scrap quilts can look beautiful too!

I'm really pleased with the final outcome. I love Diane's description of calypso music in the background; so very fitting.

Cheers, Dionne

Showing the gold as an option really helped me see what you meant about the blocks looking flat with no sparkle. You're right, the white adds "life" somehow. I enjoy this kind of analysis, even though I can't always articulate why something looks better one way than another.

The quilting is lovely. It really is another complete design element.

My favorite part of your quilt is probably the binding. I don't usually think a light binding works very well, but in this case it was a fabulous choice!

What a great idea to go for that "blended" look by using florals! You have a nice mix of values in your block, which can be difficult with florals because so many of them read as mediums. A great job--I'd use this quilt anywhere in my home!

I don't think you're alone in the area of pocketbook limitations! I am learning to embrace those limitations as opportunities to be MORE creative by using what I already have. And I think that's exactly what you did with your Rhapsody quilt. I absolutely love how it turned out! Less variety would make this quilt less interesting. I love the blue border; it's brave and brilliant!

And yes, if there was a way to pipe Calypso music in as a background for your photos, I would do it in a heartbeat!

My fabric choices were limited to what flannel scraps I had on hand. I didn't buy anything for this quilt.

But a flannel quilt in blues makes a good backdrop for a snow and winter book display, doesn't it? I ended up quilting it in the ditch, then binding it scrappy light blue and khaki, because I had some strips of those fabrics left.

I also used fabric from my stash to do the whole quilt, including background, backing and binding. I have so much fabric here, it's almost a sin to go out and buy some more... but what can I say? I'm a fabricoholic LOL The dilemma I had when I saw the pattern was am I going to use a light background, like I usually do, or go all out and try out for a dark one, which I very seldom do. I had yardage of a nice burgundy and thought: I'll work around that... use lighter scraps. So my adventure began. To tell you the truth I was not sure of my fabric choices either, especially when I put the nine "block sections" together for just one block. The emerging pattern had not yet emerged!

But when I started putting the blocks together in rows, wow, I began to like the look a lot! And then I decided to make a wavy border with my "Quilt in a Day Vines, Scallps and Waves" template. I use this ruler a lot. Depends on the quilt, of course. I am making scrappy plaid quilts these days, I would not make a wavy border on any of those, it just wouldn't seem right.

AI really like the way my RIB turned out. As a matter of fact, I like all eight of the RIB quilts... such different looking quilts with the same pattern! It amazes me.